To estimate the prevalence and identify factors related to late-onset transconjunctival
aqueous oozing and point leak from functioning blebs after trabeculectomy with 5-fluorouracil
(5-FU) or mitomycin C.
Cross-sectional study.
The study took place at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Ophthalmology,
University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine (Tokyo, Japan). Four hundred three
consecutive patients (403 eyes) with functional blebs at least 3 months after previously
performed trabeculectomy were examined between December 1997 and February 1998. The
Seidel test was performed with extended observation up to 15 seconds. Oozing was identified
as transconjunctival aqueous egress without interruption of the conjunctival tissue
or aqueous stream on the bleb wall. Logistic regression analyses of oozing and point
leak in 331 eyes with an avascular area were performed using independent variables,
including age, gender, glaucoma diagnosis, prior incisional surgery, antimetabolite
use, combined cataract surgery, postoperative follow-up period, intraocular pressure
(IOP), concurrent glaucoma therapy, bleb size, and avascular area size.
Of 403 eyes, 48 eyes (11.9%) had oozing and 8 eyes (2.0%) had point leak. Intraocular
pressure was significantly lower and an avascular area was more frequent in eyes with
oozing or leak than in eyes without (P <.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed
that oozing was significantly more common after use of 5-FU than mitomycin C (P =.024),
whereas point leak was associated with a larger avascular area (P =.045).
After trabeculectomy with antimetabolites, transconjunctival oozing is much more frequent
than point leak. Oozing was significantly associated with the use of 5-FU and point
leak with a larger avascular area in the bleb.